France and Germany pledge European rival to Palantir's military software

France and Germany signed a joint declaration to build a 'European sovereign digital backbone' spanning data-centric security, AI and cloud, a move widely read as an effort to develop a homegrown alternative to Palantir's military software following talks between Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz. Paris has pitched its AI-powered Arcadia command-and-control platform - alongside comparable German systems - as a replacement for Palantir's Maven Smart System, which underpins NATO targeting operations. The push follows France's DGSI moving to drop Palantir for French rival ChapsVision's ArgonOS and Germany's services making similar switches, with the partners targeting a proof-of-concept within 18 to 24 months.